Since being hired by the Detroit Pistons in 2011, coach Lawrence
Frank has preached the same thing.

Defense.

In Frank's world, success starts with defense and it appears as
if his message and methods are finally paying off for the Pistons, who not only have
been playing like one of the NBA's better defensive teams but have people talking
about it.

• "The
Pistons, it seems, are inching closer to the 'defense-first' mind-set Lawrence
Frank preaches. Just don't tell him that.
When I mentioned to
Frank before Monday's win over Cleveland that the Pistons had suddenly rocketed
to No. 7 in the league in field-goal percentage defense, his head dropped and a
grimace twisted his face. Uh-oh, don't jinx it, he seemed to be saying." [Pistons.com]

• "The Detroit Pistons have played some outstanding defense since their franchise-worst start, especially at home. Detroit will look to win six straight at The Palace of Auburn Hills for the first time in nearly five years Wednesday night against a Golden State Warriors team opening a season-high seven-game trip. Since stumbling out of the block with eight losses, the Pistons (6-13) have regained their footing by surrendering 91.7 points per game on 40.6 percent shooting." [FoxSports.com]

•"Driving down the lane in the NBA is akin to a receiver coming
across the middle of the field in the NFL. If it's a good defensive team, that
player's head had better be on a swivel because getting knocked upside the
noggin' isn't just probable, it's likely. When opponents try to swoop in for
layups against the Pistons, they at least have to think about who's down there
and the consequences of such activity." [Detroit News]

• "The Pistons won their fifth straight game at
home Monday, the first time they did so since 2009. Detroit hasn't beaten any 'elite' teams during that
stretch, with Boston being the only team with a winning record, but to coach
Lawrence Frank a win is a win. 'I've
never believed in the teams you should beat because then what happens for the
teams, "You're not supposed to beat," ' Frank said. 'To me, on any given night,
anyone can beat anyone. That's why no one is going perfect at home.' " [The Oakland Press]

• "The Detroit Pistons have crashed as hard as the Michigan
economy over the last few years and the combination has resulted in a lot of
eerily quiet nights inside The Palace at Auburn Hills. For now, there are more
empty seats than filled ones at Pistons games. But to pin Detroit's turnstile
problem mostly on a rotten economy is to discredit die-hard Pistons fans that
have grown weary of throwing good money at bad basketball." [NBA.com]